This enlightening auto-ethnography examines how social class (and other social institutions and structures) affect how people grow up. Primarily, the book investigates how American children and young adults are impacted by the "hidden injuries" of class, and offers a rich description of how these injuries manifest and curdle later in life. Thomas J. Gorman provides sociological explanations for the phenomenon of the so-called "angry white man," and engages with this phenomenon as it relates to the rise of recent populist political figures such as Donald J. Trump. He also examines how and why white working class people tend to lash out at the wrong social forces and support political action that works against their own interests. Finally, the book demonstrates the connections between working-class attitudes toward schooling, sports, politics, and economics.

“Gorman’s book … is an autoethnography embedded in sociological theories and concepts (including Sennett and Cobb’s [1972] hidden injuries of class). The premise of this well-written book is simple: the author shows how sociology has allowed him to look back and understand what happened in his life. … Gorman gathered rich and differentiated material which comprises memories, informal interviews, social media hangouts, and biographical materials, such as a letter cited in full and a complete study program.” (Kamil Luczaj, Acta Sociologica, 2018)

“I didn’t write this book. I don’t know the author in the real world and we aren’t even from the same country, but after reading it I felt proud; very proud that someone like me has the bravery to write a book about their own class injuries. I say ‘bravery’ and I mean bravery—declaring yourself working class in the academy can be tricky, and becomes very tricky if you want to stay working class and be a ‘working class academic’—apparently an oxymoron, as someone told me that the words cancel each other out. I love this auto-ethnography—it speaks to me and with me. It taps into the anger and real rage within working class communities, and not just white working class communities. Sociologists have an important role in unraveling and being critical of how pain, anger, and injury relating to class inequality expand into every space.” (Lisa McKenzie, Sociology Fellow at the London School of Economics, UK)